Critical Mass - Budapest

I started following a training plan for the sprint tri in July and today I was scheduled for a 45 minute bike ride. I also had a 15 minute swim to make up hanging over my head from earlier in the week. I decided I'd tag on the 15 minute swim to a 20 minute swim I have scheduled for tomorrow and that I'd just do the bike ride today. I ended up doing 59 minutes and a total of 11 miles.

The funniest part about my workout today is that for about two minutes on the ride home, I joined "Critical Mass" in making the statement that "bikers rule" as we took over a few main roads in Budapest. I forgot that today was "Critical Mass" day - a day the city sets aside for bikers to basically take over and make a strong point about biking as a form of transportation. It's really cool because you see families with their kids; small, medium and large Hungarians out for the ride. The ride starts at the city center and ends at the city park near Hero's Square, just outside my front door. I've always ended up outside biking whenever they have their main event, but never quite joined them.

Here's a small you tube clip from last year's event. (Oh, I was THERE on this trail today! Funny)


Again, as I stepped outside my door and saw the massive trail of bikers going into the city park, I was tempted to go with them, but I had a trail in mind for today and the Critical Mass bunch are definitely leisurely riders. It's not really conducive to training. :D I felt like a fish swimming up stream as I headed to the Danube river while everyone else was going in the opposite direction. I pushed myself on 1/3 of the ride and the rest of it I did at a steady pace.

On the ride home, I joined the critical mass for about two minutes, which was kind of fun....I felt like a renegade sort of "sneaking in" to the event...he he. It was way too slow and leisurely and at this point I was thinking about the greek salad and pasta pesto waiting for me at home. But a fun adventure nonetheless. I wish I would have had my camera! That would have been cool. Well, the event is ending now in the city park and I can still hear horns blowing to celebrate the biking community.

To all fellow bikers who use biking as a form of transportation, you have a critical mass in Hungary who also support your aims.